As we start to go into the business part of the season, we thought it was time to get out the travel planner and look ahead. With Brentford undoubtedly in the thick of the promotion race, it’s inevitable that more and more of us will want to hit the road jack.
Needless to say, with more away journeys it’s imperative that we look at the best way to keep costs down. That sometimes involves buying tickets in advance. And it sometimes means quite simply knowing the little tricks for cheap tickets.
So pulling on his travel agent’s uniform, BillytheBee goes through all the latest travel options. If you have found any cheaper alternatives, feel free to add in the comments below
Carlisle. Sat 1st March.
This is one trip where you have to buy your tickets three months in advance when the cheap tickets go on sale. Even if you are not sure of going, you can always flog it on to another Bees fan or flog it onto someone off to Glasgow that weekend on a train ticket sales forum.
Carlisle is always a good trip. It’s far enough away that it gets a real hard core of supporters up for a good day out. It also seems to get it’s fair share of Scots coming across the border potty for a day out. The local Carlisle fans are pretty friendly as well.
Return tickets for Carlisle were £25 back in December when they first went on sale. Now you have to be prepared to pay £35 to get up there on the 8.30 and either £35 to come back on the 18.52 or £25 on the 19.07. Minimum £60 return. There aren’t even any side tucks going via Manchester or York or Newcastle or breaking up the journey in Crewe from what I can see.
Orient. Sat 15th March
Boats have sold out so cheapest and easiest way to this game is with a one day travelcard.
Rotherham Tue 25th March
Disappointing that this game was switched from a Saturday to a Tuesday night as many fans had expressed an interest in travelling to this new stadium and a night games is just not convenient to many who can’t get the time off work. Megatrain tickets have all gone. If you travel early, there is a £12.50 train ticket to Sheffield or a £10 advance purchase ticket to Doncaster. It’s a few quid from Sheffield or Doncaster to Rotherham.
On the way home, if you insist on getting a train, best way is to share a cab to Doncaster and get the 22.43 back to London for £11.25 advance purchase.
If you don’t mind doing the coach up, the Megabus is ridiculously cheap and is actually quite fast as, unlike the National Express, it doesn’t stop anywhere else. We were forced onto our first megabus journey as a cheap last minute return from Sheffield when the game was called off last week. Cost us £5 last minute and we were back supping a beer in London 3.5 hours later.
Loads of megabuses going up ranging from £1 to £5 one way. Maybe you may want to stay overnight (ibis is £39 for a twin) and get a cheap coach or train back. I know quite a few Bees are.
Oldham. Sat 29th March
Advance tickets for this match went on sale in December are were £25 return to Manchester Piccadilly. You can get a bus or a tram to Oldham from Piccadilly. Tickets are dear now. £35.50 up to Manchester and £20 or £27 (depending on times) return
However, you can try a little tuck via Sheffield which works out reasonable considering. The 9.26 Megatrain to Sheffield is currently £15 (the megabus is £5 even and takes only 1 hr longer). You can get from Sheffield to Manchester on the Trans Pennine Express for £7 advance fare and it takes an hour. On the way back, Manchester to Doncaster is £8 and the 19.28 Doncaster to London is currently £10. You can also get to Sheffield and back on the 19.27 Megatrain (currently £15). Cheapest fare is £35 return via Sheffield/Doncaster currently.
Sheffield Utd. Tue 1st April
April fools day. And a 2nd trip to the Sheffield manor in a week. The club is running free coaches to this game. We were looking to take 500 plus for the postponed match in February so expect us to take at least double that if not more as we move into crunch time in the season.
Megatrain tickets still available from £7 (leaves from St Pancras) and Megabus tickets available from the ridiculous price of £1 (leaves from Victoria).
Getting back by public transport is the same issue as Rotherham but as coaches are free, as long as you have booked match tickets in advance and a coach place, you can probably jump the coach back home.
Swindon. Sat 12th April
This is a big game. With the numbers we will take here unfortunately we will probably get the open terrace behind the goal as opposed to the stand on the side which is covered and noisy (we could even hear the Posh fans on the box in that end).
This stretch of railway is known to rarely do deals like East Coast rail, London Midland and Southern Rail. And fares to Swindon are relatively expensive considering it only takes 1hr to get there. However, you are able to pick up an advanced groupsave 4 ticket to Swindon on the day for £88 (£22 each person) which means you can jump on any train there and back. Megabus out not that useful but you can jump a megabus back to Victoria for £1 if you book now
Franchise FC (aka MK Dons). Mon 21 Apr
The best option by far is a £29 groupsave4 ticket working out at just under £7.50 each. You can buy on the day and take any London Midland train with this ticket.
Colchester. Sat 25th April
Everyone is gearing themselves up for this trip and I will be surprised if we don’t take at least 3,000 fans here at least considering it’s only 1hr on the train from London.
Advanced tickets are £8 each (fixed trains). However, you can pick up a groupsave4 for £48 working out at £12 per person if you have four traveling and £16 if you have three. You can take any train with this groupsave.
BillytheBee
@billythebee99
